This research concerns polyamines: their precursors and synthetic enzymes in bloodstream and culture forms of Trypanosoma brucei. Polyamines in cell extracts are analyzed via dansylation and then thin-layer chromatography. Radioactive precursors, such as (3H)-ornithine and (-14C)-methionine, are used to estimate rates of synthesis in both forms. Alpha-Glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (NAD ions-linked) is being studied to assess its dependence on cationic cofactors, including polyamines, and the effect of known and novel trypanocides on activity of the enzyme. A limited array of novel agents are being screened by a mouse system for activity against T. brucei. These agents include polyamine antagonists, structural analogs of polyamines, and some antitumor agents. When active agents are found, their effect on polyamine content and synthesis is studied in vitro using blood-stream forms. The effect of exogenously added polyamines on the curative effect of the drug is also determined, using subcurative (but lifeprolonging) drug doses and nontoxic polyamine levels.